Pasco hit-and-run caught on tape; search on for driver

HOLIDAY (FOX 13) - Dramatic video captured a hit-and-run crash Monday in Pasco County that sent a teenage boy flying off of his bicycle. Now, authorities are searching for the driver and the vehicle involved in the crash.

Johnny Walsh Jr., 14, was struck by a speeding SUV while riding his bicycle in a residential neighborhood of Holiday. According to Florida Highway Patrol, the SUV was traveling southbound on Windham Drive, approaching Moog Road. The driver sped through a stop sign, turned left onto Moog Road, and lost control of the vehicle.

The video shows the SUV fish-tailing as it left the roadway, careened into a yard, hit a mailbox, then collided with a parked car before striking Walsh on his bicycle. The parked car was sent into the owner's home nearby.

"I hurried and up and tried to get off the bike but it was too late and I got hit," Johnny told FOX 13 Tuesday morning.

The teenager, who miraculously didn't even break a bone, was able to jump right back after getting hit.

"I had my eyes closed and I opened them and then I seen the tire right in front of me," he said. "I thanked the Lord when I got up."

Security cameras attached to a home on Moog Road recorded the hit-and-run. Jacki Lilly lives next door; the truck that was hit first belongs to her husband.

Lilly shared the video with news outlets, hoping to help investigators track down the driver.

"It makes me sick to my stomach," Lilly said referring to the video. "I watched it quite a few times initially and then as the shock of what happened wore off, it just was so disturbing, I can't watch the video anymore."

She said she's actually glad the SUV hit her husband's truck.

"That truck absorbed all of that momentum and bore the brunt of it," she explained. "If he had not hit that truck, I believe there probably would have been multiple kids hit and possibly killed yesterday. So everything happens for a reason. There were definitely some angels looking over people yesterday for sure."

Johnny's father, Johnny Walsh Sr., is furious but relieved his son is alright and he wants the driver caught.

"I'm just glad he's OK, he's standing up, he's here talking with me right now," he said. "I would like that guy, whoever he is, to come forward and be a man and turn yourself in, please."

After hitting Johnny, the SUV continued on to hit another mailbox. Debris from that impact struck a 12-year-old bicyclist. The SUV then fled the scene.

The vehicle, meanwhile, was described as a gold Ford Expedition with Florida tag GYCT99. The driver was said to be a white male with light brown or blonde hair, 20 to 30 years of age.

The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for the vehicle and the driver. Anyone with information should contact the FHP by calling *FHP (*347) or 813-631-4020.